The School of Life Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is excited to host the Spring Proposal Symposium at 9:15 am on April 17, 2025, in St. John Room 7. This in-person only event will showcase the innovative research of graduate students across various disciplines, including Botany, Microbiology, and Zoology. Featuring presentations on critical topics such as nutrient dynamics in Kāneʻohe Bay, plant stress responses, Hawaiian biodiversity conservation, and microbial interactions, the symposium highlights the breadth and impact of life sciences research at UH Mānoa. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with groundbreaking studies that address pressing environmental and scientific challenges while celebrating the achievements of our graduate students and their contributions to advancing knowledge in their respective fields. Please refer to the schedule below.
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 9:15 | Curt Daehler (Botany Graduate Chair) | Welcome |
| 9:20 | Gabriel El Hajji (MS Botany program) | Understanding nutrient dynamics in Kāneʻohe Bay: The role of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and δ15N in algal proliferation |
| 9:40 | Alison Westberry (MS Botany program) | Advanced microscopic analyses of the unfolded protein response and the structure of the endoplasmic reticulum during abiotic stress in plants |
| 10:00 | NataliaTangalin (MS Botany program) | Biogeography and phylogenetic analysis of Hawaiian Polyscias (`Ohe`ohe) with population-level analysis and conservation applications for Polyscias lallanii on Kaua’i |
| 10:20 | Jenna Luc (PhD Microbiology program) | Interactions between Mycobacterium marinum and zebrafish |
| 10:50 | Kauanoe Greene (PhD Botany program) | He ʻaʻaliʻi kū makani mai au,ʻaʻohe makani nāna e kūlaʻi: Exploring how intraspecific diversity in drought, fire, and salinity tolerance of ʻaʻaliʻi (Dodonaea viscosa, Sapindaceae) can enhance restoration of Hawaiʻi’s native ecosystem |
| 11:20 | Kelli Konicek (PhD Zoology program) | Tripartite associations between Hawaiian Drosophila, their host plants, and the sharedmicrobiome |
| 11:50 | Michael Fernandez (PhD Botany program) | The role of symbiotic associations in shaping native and invasive species success across island ecosystems |
| 12:20 | Emmett Kearns (MS Botany program) | Examining the incipient plant invaders at Waʻahila Ridge (Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi): with a focus on Murraya paniculata. |
| 12:40 | Refreshments |